Reading Reflection 7

Chapter 7: A Guiding Hand--Keeping a Project Moving

1. Description of the levels of classroom discussions.

• Teacher to Teacher: These conversations will likely touch on everything from the procedural to a formative assessment. If teachers do not have time for face-to-face collaboration, be sure you are using a blog, wiki, or any other collaborative tool to keep the conversation going.
• Student to Student: They should be talking about their learning experiences as they unfold within their teams as well across teams. remind them that good communication skills are part of effective teamwork and will help keep them organized and on track. 
• Teacher to Student: The teacher is apt to be circulating, observing, and talking with smaller groups of students. This method is ideal for practicing your own listening skills and asking probing questions that push students toward high-order thinking.

2. Discussion on the questions for “checking in” on students during a project.

• Procedural: Are we staying on schedule? To track progress toward milestones and deadlines, remind students of the project calendar and monitor students' project logs and checklists.
• Teamwork: How are team members getting along? Circulate and ask questions to help assess team dynamics. If you have students using a project blog or journal, ask them to write an entry specifically about their team's progress. Give them a safe place to raise concerns or to ask for help if they are experiencing team trouble. 
• Understanding: Have you thought about...? Spend time observing teams at work, listening to student conversations, and asking questions. Review online work spaces where you can see student work in progress. if you see students going way off task or basing their decisions on faulty information, ask questions or suggest resources to redirect them. 
• Self-assessment: To find out what students are thinking about the project, ask questions that encourage self-assessment and reflection. Project journals or blogs offer space for students to describe challenges or frustrations =, to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable asking in class, or to share their excitement about the project. 

3. Discussion on the benefits to students when optimizing the use of technology.

• Students will gain new insights into how to communicate with a culturally diverse audience. Students may also gain benefits in the outset of a project or by taking in constructive criticism. 

4. Discussion on the 21st-century skills that can make or break a project.

• During a project, pay close attention to team dynamics and if you detect trouble, help students learn to manage their own team conflicts.It is a real-life skill that will serve them well for years to come. Encourage self-assessment by asking the students to describe the skills they have to offer a team. 

5. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

• The concepts of this chapter relate to my project tremendously due to the "checking in" system on a student in a project. These procedures are extremely important and effective in regards to make sure the students are accurately engulfing themselves in project-based learning and collaboration of both teachers and students.